Language/Western-frisian/Grammar/Adjectives

Western Frisian Grammar - Adjectives

Hi Western Frisian learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn about adjectives in Western Frisian grammar. Adjectives are words that describe or give more information about a noun. For example, "the big house" - "big" is an adjective that describes the house. Let's dive in and explore more about adjectives in Western Frisian!

Adjective placement

In Western Frisian, adjectives usually come before the noun they describe. For example: "in groun auto" (a green car), "in nij boek" (a new book), "in moai blom" (a beautiful flower). However, there are some exceptions to this rule when using certain adjectives in specific situations, which we will explore below.

Predicative adjectives

Predicative adjectives are adjectives that come after a linking verb, such as "is," "was," or "becomes." In these cases, the adjective follows the noun they describe. For example: "De blom is moai" (The flower is beautiful), "De auto wie nij" (The car was new), "It bier smakket fris" (The beer tastes fresh).

Attributive adjectives

Attributive adjectives are adjectives that come before the noun they describe. There are some cases where the adjectives come before the predicate. For example, when the adjective is used in a comparative or superlative form, such as "better," "best," "worse," "worst." Some examples of proper adjective order in Western Frisian are: "in nijere auto" (a newer car), "in heechste berg" (the highest mountain), "in lyts hûs" (a small house).

Adjective agreement

In Western Frisian grammar, adjectives must agree in number and gender with the noun they describe. This means that the adjective must have the same number and gender as the noun. For example: "De nij boeken" (the new books), "De moaie fammen" (the beautiful girls).

Number agreement

Number agreement means that the adjective must match the number of the noun. If the noun is singular, the adjective should also be singular. If the noun is plural, the adjective should also be plural. For example: "in groen auto" (a green car) becomes "de groene auto's" (the green cars).

Gender agreement

Gender agreement means that the adjective must match the gender of the noun. Western Frisian has two grammatical genders: masculine and feminine. If the noun is masculine, the adjective should be masculine. If the noun is feminine, the adjective should be feminine. For example: "De moaie fammen" (the beautiful girls) - "moaie" is a feminine adjective, matching the feminine noun "fammen".

Here are some examples of adjective agreement:

Western Frisian	Pronunciation	English
in nij boek	in nij boek	a new book
de nij boeken	de nij boeken	the new books
in grut hûs	in grut hûs	a big house
de grutte huzen	de grutte huzen	the big houses

Comparison of adjectives

In Western Frisian, adjectives can either be compared by adding -er or by using the adverb "mear" (more) before the adjective. For example: "Heech" (high) becomes "Heecher" (higher), "Moai" (beautiful) becomes "Moaier" (more beautiful). Here are some more examples:

Western Frisian	Pronunciation	English
linich	linich	careful
liniger	liniger	more careful
einliks	einliks	actually
einliker	einliker	more actually
nij	nij	new
nijer	nijer	newer

Dialogue

• Person 1: Dit is in ____ boek (This is a ____ book)
• Person 2: Wat foar boek? (What kind of book?)
• Person 1: In ____ boek. (A ____ book.)
• Person 2: In nij boek? (A new book?)
• Person 1: Ja, in nij boek. (Yes, a new book.)

Conclusion

Adjectives are an important part of Western Frisian grammar. Knowing how to properly use adjectives, their placement, and their agreement with gender and number will greatly improve your language skills. To improve your Western Frisian grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

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